FAMILY DYNAMICS - A Cautionary Tale (or Tail)

Auggie Thomasson

This is a personal story about my family.  I haven't seen anything like this in print when perusing parrot sites, or getting the weekly updates from some well-known avian websites.  I think that it's worth sharing, because, I just  don't believe that my "family" is the only one that has experienced what mine has with the dynamics of different animal species under one roof.

We have always had dogs in our household.  And parrots came into the fray in full force almost thirty years ago.  For many, many years, everything was copacetic.  Everyone got along, whether two-legged or four,  pretty much, with some careful supervision by us.  

We have two dogs right now, and five big birds in the house.   Our dogs are thirteen and twelve years of age.   The twelve-year-old is a gentle boy, German shepherd/Australian Shepherd mix.  And this "tail" is about him.   His name is Auggie and he has noise anxiety.  Noise anxiety? Yup...there is such a thing, and canines are susceptible to this condition.    Here is how we finally were able to come to this diagnosis:

Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum

A number of years ago, I brought two lovebirds into my flock.   They were as wild as a March hare, bonded dearly to each other,  chirped incessantly and preciously, and after a few years, both began suffering from seizures and a number of  other health issues.  They were under the care of my avian vet until they both passed away.   But...while they were alive, a strange thing began happening:  the lovebirds seemed to choose the middle of the night to have seizures, which meant one would end up in the bottom of the cage struggling until the seizure passed.   Our bird room is next to our master bedroom, and the dogs have always slept in the bedroom with us.   Whenever one of the lovebirds would have a seizure, we knew because Auggie (all 80 pounds of him) would climb up on the bed and literally stand over our heads to wake us up...to let us know. The bird made no chirping sounds...just fluttering, floundering.   We would immediately go to the lovebirds' cage and hold the bird until the seizure passed.  Lassie truly let us know that Timmy was on the tracks.

At first we thought that this was some innate 6th sense that Auggie had (and possibly actually has) and though he seemed alarmed, he settled down once the bird was attended to.   And, as I mentioned, we finally lost those two little birds.  I dearly missed them and what they added to the ambience of our home, and so we adopted two more little wild lovebirds to replace them.   And then...Auggie's behavior started changing.

Whenever the new lovebirds would chirp or ring their little bells or flutter around their cage, Auggie became frantic.   He pinned his ears back, he tucked his tail, and he looked for anywhere  to escape the pain he was experiencing.  That included, if he went into the back yard and away from the birds, trying to dig under the fence, trying to squeeze between a gate and the fence to escape. If still inside, he paced indoors...all the time exhibiting a frantic look in his eyes that was just simply TERROR.   We made a decision after watching our dog be so very miserable:   we chose to ask a friend to care for the lovebirds until we no longer had Auggie.   My reasoning was that the lovebirds would outlive my dog, the birds would be in loving care in the interim, and Auggie would have some peace.  

For nearly five years now, my lovebirds have lived with my friend, and Auggie occasionally struggles with noises from our five big birds. But it is not as traumatic for him now as it was with the lovebirds that he had to endure.  He is on a minimal  dose of anxiety medication and also wears a collar with synthetic dog pheromones, which seem to give him  relief.   He avoids the birds, the bird room, and he still flinches when there are big flutters and typical raucous outbursts.  But we are aware and try to make sure he is as comfortable as possible.  He deserves it.  He is a great dog.  

And so... the cautionary "tail:" if you share your home with animals other than birds (furry, four-legged), be observant.   Yes, dogs can act "scared" of birds and avoid them.   But look closely into your animals' eyes and watch their body language as well; is it just a normal balancing of pecking order in your home, or is your dog or possibly cat experiencing an anxiety disorder like Auggie does?   

Lastly, please transfer this observance to your flock.   Watch how your birds interact, caged together or individually,  next to each other.  Can you see aggression or fear between birds?   If there is discomfort, do them a favor and adjust their living situation (separate them, juggle cage locations or rooms, even) so that they don't have to live "on guard" all of the time.  It's not a pleasant way to live. It's not a good thing to watch.   It is  something we can change and improve.   

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE...THERE'S A PLAN

The Black Forest Fire - June, 2013
Black Forest, Colorado

My husband and I walk our dogs in our rural development on a daily basis.   Our route is a three mile loop through our neighborhood.    We try to be good stewards of the land as we walk by picking up any bottles, beer cans and miscellaneous trash that we see, scooping up nails and roofing staples that find their way into the road, and we seem to always come across the errant cigarette butt.   It is stunning to us that, in this warm and windy February, that anyone would have the audacity (stupidity!!) to toss a cigarette butt out of a car window, potentially into meadows that are as dry as crisp toast. But we find them on a regular basis.  And it is very disturbing.

Fire.  To many of us, "fire" is more than a four letter word. Where we are, it is a potential threat that we live with throughout the year. In Colorado, the skies are lit up with thousands of lightning strikes every year. Our woods are filled with old pine trees scarred many times over from surviving lightning strikes.   Fire, no matter what the cause, is not to be taken lightly.   It is not forgiving and it does not give its recipients many options once it's turned loose.   You must quickly make decisions and they must be the right decisions, because time is of the essence and "fire" is synonymous with "life and death."   

I won't rehash our personal past experiences with fire.  Suffice it to say that we have had first-hand experience putting out fires, and being forced to evacuate from our property because of shifting winds from huge fires nearby (in the Black Forest) . So far we have been lucky. We have been safe, our property and our animals have been safe.  Knock on Ponderosa pine wood.

Maybe you're not in a community where wildfires are on the top of the list of potential dangers, but there are circumstances that might require a quick and safe exit for everyone in your home.   Emergencies might include a gas leak or extreme weather, like flooding or a tornado.  

Out here in the country, the consensus is that, if fires are coming, just open the corral gates and let the horses and cattle out.  You can round them up later.   That's just not the prudent choice for your parrots, though, is it? So what can you do to insure your flock is safe?  Well, it's easy:   Have a plan in advance for your animals, including your birds, in case you need to evacuate your home on a moment's notice. 

Here are some ideas that you might want to consider for your feathered family members. Have your "exit" supplies packed, easily accessible,  and ready to go.  Know how you will place your animals in your vehicle. Make sure there is room for what you personally need as well as for your animals and what they will require.    The supplies for your birds might be:

1.    An emergency avian first-aid kit

2.    Bath towels (small washcloths or hand towels for small birds)

3.    A supply of dry food (high quality pellets & some  seed)   (An emergency is not the time to                  worry about a well-rounded diet!)

4.    Quick access to any medications your birds must take 

5.    Roll of paper towels

6.    Stack of newspapers

7.    Traveling carriers for each of your birds with clean water and food bowls

8.    A jug of fresh water 

I would think in terms of having a week's worth of  "parrot" provisions  with you.  And, if you are fortunate enough not to have to grab your emergency parrot "exit" bag or box, be sure to rotate the water, pellets and seeds out and restock with fresh. 

It is a fact that, given a warning that you are in imminent danger of fire, you may not even have five minutes to grab what you need and get out. That includes family members,  crating birds, dogs, and grabbing what you consider invaluable.   Be organized now.  I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer about this.  I'm just being pragmatic.  Thinking ahead about how you might deal with an emergency could be the difference between saving lives or making irrevocable mistakes.   

What else would you include in your emergency supplies for your flock?   Please add your suggestions.

  

    

OH! THE CARNAGE!! FORAGING BOX - BEFORE... AND AFTER...and STILL GOING!

New foraging box.  Nice and neat.  Tidy.  Full of entertainment.
Double Yellow Headed Amazon at the ready...camera left.

On my last post, I wrote about the value of giving our parrot companions foraging boxes, filled with different textures, shapes, tastes.    I thought you might want to see what has since transpired with the box I made as a sample for that blog.   I chose to give this particular box to my Double Yellow Headed Amazon, Pancho, about three days ago.   As you can see from the first picture, she's camera shy, but don't let that fool you; the girl is ruthless and attacks her toy box like a tornado headed for a tin barn.   Hope you enjoy the pictures.  And, this particular foraging venture is now in its third reincarnation - the "innards" have been given a new home in another box on a daily basis, until everything is gone! 

Pancho shredding the box.

When I was younger, I remember hearing a saying about kids loving the boxes better than the shoes that came in them.    That's what I think of when I see my birds attacking their toy boxes:  the boxes are as much entertainment as the toys that we make and buy for them.

Taking a break.

Spread the love. 

What's left of the Skippy box and the goodies within.

So it is my job (and yours, too, I bet)  to pilfer through the wreckage in the morning when I change papers and salvage what I can of what's left of the toy box. It has turned cold here  where we live, and so putting my birds outside hasn't been an option for a day or two.   Knowing that my birds all have choices to stay busy, stay mentally stimulated, and be content in their cages when they are there, makes this inevitable mess all worthwhile.  When I see the destruction,  I just smile and grab my trash can and broom...and then go grab another box.    

BOXES! BOXES! WHO'S GOT THE BOXES?

Easy to assemble cardboard "toy/foraging box" for medium to large parrots

I am constantly aware of the importance of keeping my birds exploring and busy when they are in their cages.  As a responsible parrot owner, you probably feel the same way about your flock. Besides hanging toys, weaving toys & destructibles through the bars, hanging sliced phone books, creating interesting perch configurations, etc., I try to add one more item to my birds' cages, a cardboard box filled with entertainment and challenges.  This goes in the back corner in each of my birds' cages, out of the direct shot of droppings from a perch above.  If your birds are out in your house, you may want to place this play box somewhere safe, in a well-lit "play area."

In the box I include some of the following (depending on what I have on hand):

1    - partial pieces of wood from destroyed toys
2    - new foot toys
3    - parts of egg cartons or smaller pieces of cardboard
4    - an unshelled nut or a foraging container with a hidden nut or treat
5    - clean pine cones
6    - sisal rope with knots tied in it
7    - clean, small pine branches or twigs
8    - parts of broken-up toys, that are still safe
9    - partial phone book or paperback book (encourages literacy!)
10  - playing cards

For me, it is important to discourage breeding behaviors in my birds.  I have no desire to see my flock increase!  And  boxes, in and of themselves, can be the perfect signals for many birds to go into reproductive mode. But, there are things that I do, and that you can do to create and utilize this inexpensive "entertainment center" without encouraging behaviors you don't want and to ensure safe play.  Here are some tips that have worked well for me:

1 - Make sure that the box you choose is NOT four-sided.   If you've found a great, intact box to use, tear off the top and maybe one side of the box (if the sides are tall) to insure that it doesn't look dark and inviting, like a nest box.
2 - Do no include materials that are already shredded which would encourage nesting, like shredded newspaper or loose crinkly paper.
3 - If the box has cellophane (like a tissue box) be sure to remove it before you give it to your bird.
4 - Don't use a box that has ANY odor at all; no perfumes, no sweet soapy smells, nothing. Recycle those another way.
5 - Remove any tape that you believe your bird might tear at. Also check for staples.

Where can you get a good stock of safe cardboard boxes for your birds to play in/with and destroy?   My go-to place is Costco. Sam's Club works, too.    I get mistaken for a Costco employee many times because, when I go shopping,  I make a point of walking up and down  the aisles and removing the shorter, empty boxes (like Skippy peanut butter, 505 chili, A-1 Steak Sauce boxes) and load up my cart, groceries, cardboard boxes  and all.    Discount stores, like Walmart, do their re-stocking in the evening, and they have carts and bins of cardboard boxes.   It doesn't hurt to ask a manager or employee in your local store if you could have a stack of boxes...it saves them from having to dispose of them.

I try to get a variety of sizes, but I have to say that none of my birds are picky about the size...they start buzz-sawing thru the sides,  the bottom, the contents, foraging for a treat as soon as the box is placed.   And, even though it may look like a tornado has blown through the box, if there is anything remaining the next day, I use that cardboard as filler for the new box.   It's a never ending source of busy-ness for my flock.   Remember, this is something that you could do for any size of parrot; little birds - little boxes, big birds - BIG boxes!

Have you tried this for your flock already?  What is your source for boxes and what do you put in for your birds' enjoyment?  Let us know in the comment section!   Thanks.
 

Kindness, Appreciation, Compassion - Pass It On

My friend, Patti Christie, with her dearly loved Amazon, "Higgins"
(Picture is from 2004.)

Many years ago, when I was just beginning my career as a public school teacher, I had the privilege to teach  first and second graders.  It was a privilege, because I was witness to children exploding into literacy; watching them become readers,  proud "authors," problem solvers.  It was, to use the over-used word, awesome.  And,  I had a wonderful principal, who allowed me the freedom in my classroom to do what some of my teammates I'm sure considered unnecessary and unorthodox.    I kept animals in my classroom.  

I knew that most kids had some exposure to dogs and probably cats. But the unknown to me was, if my students did have dogs and cats at home, did their parents model gentle care, kindness and love toward their pets?  And I didn't know if birds and rabbits were part of their life experiences up to that point. 

Since I couldn't answer that question (and we all know the horror stories of chained up dogs, animals without shelter during extreme weather, empty water bowls, physical abuse, death), I wanted my kids to have hands-on positive experiences that they might reflect on and take with them into their coming years.  I wanted them to be able to gently hold a rabbit, pet it, speak to it with compassion, and understand its worth.  We laughed together as Cisco (mini-lop) did leaps in the air, flipping 180° and leaving a trail of flying "raisinettes" in his wake!  They heard that lovely chirp of parakeets in the classroom.   The noisier the kids were, the louder the birds got.  It was wonderful.  My students loved it.  I modeled proper care, cleanliness, and feeding...and kindness and compassion.   I loved that rabbit.  I loved my little flock of parakeets. I hope some of that rubbed off on my young students.

And, when our senior citizen dogs were in their last days and couldn't be left alone, both my husband (a teacher as well) and I took them to school with us.  They slept under our desks. Our students watched us give them companionship, tenderness, and care in their final days.  They were not alone. They were loved.

And I hope that those children left my classroom (and my husband's as well) with  an appreciation of the value that all living creatures have; that the animals that we deem pets deserve  to be treated with respect, and cared for with kindness, compassion, and appreciation, no matter if their experience is with the short life of a mouse, a gerbil, or the decades that a macaw can share with us. We are responsible.

My point here is, if you have animals in your life, feathered or not, please take the time to share your love, your passion, your kindness, appreciation, compassion with others, especially young people. Tell them about your animals.   Let them touch (safely), explain the funny quirks and wonderful qualities that make your pets so special. If you have children, let them take on responsibilities within their age and capabilities, so that they feel they are their own, and they can feel the wonderful inner gifts that caring for an animal generates within us...even at a young age. 

Our birds, our animals bring us such great joy.  I know that all of my animals have played  profound roles in my life.  I bet the same goes for you as well.    And,  I realize I've used the words "kindness, compassion, appreciation and love" over and over again in this blog.   But...can you say them too much? Can you  model them/"live" them too much?    Please, just be cognizant and do pass them on.  They are invaluable, tremendous gifts to share.  

OHHHH, NUTS!!!

All of us know that our birds benefit from regularly having nuts in their diets, unsalted, raw nuts shelled or unshelled.  And my guess is that you, too, have noticed that nuts in the shell at the grocery stores and online before the holidays, (okay, all year 'round) are really expensive.  But, in December the grocery stores stock bin after bin of unshelled nuts, all headed to the mantle to be stocking stuffers and centerpieces.  Except, not all of those nuts make it out of the grocery store. And after the holidays, the stores start marking those nuts down.

I won't belabor the point: this year I was almost too late.   A friend of mine who works  at King Soopers (Krogers in other parts of the country) called two days ago to say that the produce department  had bagged up all of their bulk nuts from the holidays in  approximately one pound bags, and they were all marked $1.00.  Clearance. Yup, you read right: one dollar. Not a typo here. One dollar.    She asked me if I'd like her to pick some up for my birds. We all know what my answer was, "OF COURSE! I'll take 30 bags!"   And so, I happily exchanged cash for nutritious nuts, and started a frantic hunt around town to find more.  A friend of mine in the Denver metro area searched out other stores, and found about 36 pounds, bagged and priced the same.   I found another 14 pounds.    And then...the well went dry.   All gone. But, ohhhhh, between us we had, in less than 24 hours, stocked up over 70 pounds of fabulous nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds,  Brazil nuts, hazelnuts) for our birds, at a fraction of their normal cost,  to also share with the flocks of two other friends.  Money so well spent.   Unshelled nuts to last months.

Nothing beats watching a parrot rip methodically into a pecan, a walnut, an almond, a Brazil nut, in the shell.   It's inspirational to watch the problem solving as the shell goes by the wayside within seconds, and the nut has been discovered.   And...nothing is wasted.  Do your birds head down to the bottom of the cage to check out the shell pieces for left behind nut meats?  Mine do. So smart.

Nuts serve a number of purposes for our birds (all ending with nutrition). First, they are a part of their daily diet.  Second, we use them as reward for solving foraging puzzles, birdie brain games.  And third, they are invaluable as tiny, tiny bites of treats or rewards throughout the day as positive reinforcement.

You would think as old as I am, and as long as I've had birds, that I would be ahead of this "markdown" strategy at the local groceries.  But, sometimes life gets in the way and it takes a call from a friend to remind me that there are bargains to be had, for our birds, every year, in the produce departments...if we just watch.  So, the moral of this missive is, keep your eyes out right after the holidays next year and grab up a bundle of those "expensive" nuts at an incredible price....for your birds.   Oh, crack open a pecan or two for yourself. Your birds won't mind sharing.  

 

ZIP TIES - THE CONTINUING SAGA

My Feathered Fox, Malibu, ready to attack her evil nemesis:

her food bowl! (Note the stainless steel strap across and 

around the bowl holder.)

If you read my first blog entry regarding keeping acrylic bowls in their holders in my Blue and Gold's cage, you may have left the post thinking that it was "Mission accomplished!" and "All's well that ends well."  Silly you.   Actually, silly me. 

Over the last week or so since I wrote that article,  I really thought that I had resolved the issue of untwisted bowls that resulted in thrown water and food.  After my snippet-of-paper-towel fix, wedging the bowls in their acrylic holders, I watched my very determined macaw continue to work those bowls, as tightly and snuggly as they were held...and succeed in her misguided (well, in MY opinion) mission.  

Malibu has been tenacious.  The way she chooses what to use as her tools: her tongue, then her lower beak, then moving to a different side of the bowl, then both mandibles...fascinating.  She is such a problem solver that, if it weren't so frustrating to watch her twist the entire bowl and holder upside down and jet propel  the contents, I would feel a great sense of admiration (and pride!) for her determination and mental skills.    But no matter how smart she is, she still needs to be fed and have fresh water.

What has transpired over the past week has been a true lesson in observing parrot intelligence, and then outwitting that wit, for her own sake.  And, knock on wood...I think I have finally found the solution to my dilemma with this incredibly bright bird.    Oddly enough, it all goes back to my second blog about zip ties.  

I had reached a point of frustration with the use of the acrylic, twist in/out bowls.  I decided to revert back to the original bowl holders and metal bowls that came with her cage.  The problem, as I saw it, was that she had no qualms about lifting her bowls out and tossing them, and then removing the holder and giving it the ol' heave ho as well.   But, the problem was not the bowls, it was the holders.   

Now, let me say, I LOVE my Avian Adventure cages (a reason to write another blog, for sure) but there is a flaw in their system for holding bowls.   With a feisty bird, the bowl can easily be lifted up over the lip and out of the holder.   There is nothing to prevent that vertical motion.   (It could easily be resolved if Avian Adventures had welded one more bar across the top  of the holder...but they didn't!)   

And so, I dug through my zip tie stash and found two very heavy duty nylon zip ties, probably 3/8" wide and extremely strong, and wrapped them around the holders, securing the zip ties to the bottoms of the holders with smaller zip ties, snipped off.  They held the bowls in beautifully.  There was NO WAY she could wrangle the bowls out.  Did I say strong? Did I say no way?   Again, oh, silly me.   Malibu made short work of those ties: I watched the wheels start turning in her gifted bird brain.   Within 2-3 minutes of checking out the new, "indestructible" zip tie straps, she proceeded to reach down and snap the tie on her food bowl in two like it was a piece of raw spaghetti.    I thought I'd solved the problem.   I hadn't.   But it was definitely a good start.  I was not deterred from my mission.

Note the SS  zip tie beneath the bowl

attached to a bar on the side of the cage.

There are stainless steel zip ties.  And since they are metal, parrots cannot snip them in two.  I had some in my supplies - they were narrow, but worth experimenting with.  I proceeded to re-do my zip tie "fix" with metal ties, also securing the holders to  the sides of the cage below the bowl areas.  This was a step toward success.  she could not break the tie, she could NOT get the bowl out of the holder, but she DID figure out how to grab the edge of the bowl and "pop" it so that the food in the bowl took a vertical trip and then angled over the edge of the bowl...to the bottom of her cage.  I was not deterred from my mission.

I did have to resort to even stronger/wider SS zip ties, but that has stopped her from being able to "pop" the bowls in the holders.  These metal ties are expensive, (I paid $15 for a package of 5 at my local hardware store.) but I only needed 2 of the wider ones, so I have back-ups for future emergencies. For two days now, Malibu's food and water have remained in their respective bowls, unmoved, food and water available.  I do not believe, however, that the next "issue" needing resolution will  be resolving my macaw's creative food and water bowl problems.  That one, for the time being and much to Malibu's chagrin,  has been taken care of.  Case closed.